Mississippi Whole Schools

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Mississippi Whole Schools

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Every child deserves to be taught in and through the arts, nurturing the imagination.

Mississippi's Whole Schools Program is an arts integrated conceptual approach to re-designing school environments to create a culture of collaboration and transparency. The Whole Schools Initiative, Mississippi’s first comprehensive statewide arts education program, uses the arts as a vehicle for promoting high-quality instruction and learning for students in all disciplines. This unique program goes far beyond “art for art’s sake” and applies the learning power of the arts across the entire curriculum. The Five Goals of the Whole Schools Initiative are:

1.To improve student academic achievement through the integration of the arts into the basic curriculum.

2.To enrich the lives of students by increasing their skills and knowledge in all arts disciplines.

3.To assist the professional and personal growth of teachers and administrators through arts experiences.

4.To use the arts to increase parental and community involvement in schools.

5.To assist schools in building a sustainable system for supporting arts integration and arts infusion.

10/30/2026

Looking for fresh ways to engage students in English Language Arts? Join Mississippi Whole Schools for November Office Hours! 📚

Engaging Strategies for Teaching English Language Arts
🗓 Tuesday, November 3
⏰ 3:30–4:30 p.m.
Join here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83264435910

Explore practical instructional strategies that make ELA lessons engaging and meaningful, with techniques you can put to work in your classroom right away.

The session will also introduce the Mississippi Whole Schools program and how its approach supports student engagement and learning across content areas.

Save the date and bring your questions!

10/29/2026

Last chance to apply! Mississippi Arts Commission Mini-Grant and roster applications close November 2.

Individual Mini-Grants provide up to $500 for professional development, marketing or art supplies. Organization Mini-Grants provide $200–$1,000 for professional development and capacity building and require a dollar-for-dollar cash match.

Mississippi artists can also apply for the Artist Roster or Teaching Artist Roster. The Teaching Artist Roster helps connect artists and arts educators with schools and community organizations, and qualified applicants may seek Mini-Grant funding to hire roster members.

Explore the opportunities and apply by November 2 at arts.ms.gov/grants

10/26/2026

New Teaching Artist Spotlight: Angi Cooper

Mixed media artist Angi Cooper has joined the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Teaching Artist Roster. With 20 years of experience teaching across the South, she uses murals, mixed media, and 2D and 3D visual art to connect hands-on learning with math, science, language arts, and cultural studies.

Her professional work includes exhibitions at The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience and the Meridian Museum of Art, along with public art projects in Mississippi and beyond.

Cooper is available to travel throughout Mississippi for school residencies, half-day professional development for Pre-K–12 teachers, adult education, and programs tailored to schools and organizations.

Explore the MAC Teaching Artist Roster to learn more about working with her at https://arts.ms.gov/artist-roster/

10/26/2026

New Teaching Artist Spotlight: Angi Cooper

Mixed media artist Angi Cooper has joined the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Teaching Artist Roster. With 20 years of experience teaching across the South, she uses murals, mixed media, and 2D and 3D visual art to connect hands-on learning with math, science, language arts and cultural studies.

Her professional work includes exhibitions at The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience and the Meridian Museum of Art, along with public art projects in Mississippi and beyond.

Cooper is available to travel throughout Mississippi for school residencies, half-day professional development for Pre-K–12 teachers, adult education and programs tailored to schools and organizations.

Explore the MAC Teaching Artist Roster to learn more about working with her at https://arts.ms.gov/artist-roster

Angi Cooper

10/23/2026

How do you introduce your work to a school leader? Join Mississippi Whole Schools’ Teaching Artist Collaborative on November 3 for "Introducing Yourself as a Teaching Artist" with Taylor St. John.

Participants will practice describing their work to educators and administrators, then receive feedback to help them communicate its value clearly.

📅 November 3 at 12:00 p.m.
📍 Zoom

Join the session: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81126291659?pwd=b40dQqeXWgn9vR8EvVrmVze7wSJTX1.1

10/21/2026

Meet Christi Doucet, a new member of the Mississippi Whole Schools team!

Specializing in detailed watercolor and bookmaking, Christi finds inspiration in the natural world’s smallest details. Her work celebrates “tiny joys,” turning everyday observations into colorful pieces that invite curiosity and a closer look at the world just outside our doors.

Christi brings teaching experience across elementary classrooms, online courses, museum classes and professional leadership sessions in corporate settings. Her appreciation for small discoveries and experience across learning environments bring a fresh perspective to arts-integrated education.

Join Mississippi Whole Schools in welcoming Christi!

10/19/2026

Teaching Artist Kim Gentry shares highlights from her residency at Crestwood Elementary in Meridian through the Teaching Artist Certification Program. By blending dance, visual art, math, science, language arts, and social-emotional learning, she created engaging experiences that helped students connect creativity with academic concepts in meaningful ways.

From the Alligator Dance Exploration to Limbo with Purpose, each activity encouraged movement, teamwork, emotional expression, and hands-on learning.

Click below to read the full story and discover the impact arts integration had on Crestwood’s students and educators.
https://mswholeschools.org/blog_post/empowering-students-through-arts-integration/

10/16/2026

This National Principals Month, Mississippi Whole Schools celebrates the school leaders who champion creativity, support educators, and make arts integration a meaningful part of student learning!

Thank you to the principals across Mississippi whose leadership helps create engaging school communities where students and teachers can thrive. Your support makes a lasting impact!

10/14/2026

What helps a school grow? 🌱

At last month’s Mississippi Whole Schools Leadership Institute, school leaders took part in “Pass the Picture,” a collaborative art experience that invited them to explore the roots that support them, map where they have been and where they are growing, and imagine a thriving learning environment.

Participants passed each picture around the table several times, responding to a different prompt with each turn. Together, their individual ideas became a shared visual journey and a starting point for conversations about the support they have and the kind of school community they want to build.

Swipe through to see what they created!

10/13/2026

A look back at Mississippi Whole Schools Leadership Institute! School leaders came together to reflect, share ideas, and plan how to support arts-integrated learning for their students and staff.

From group discussions to hands-on activities, the Leadersship Institute gave teams time to connect with one another and take new tools and ideas back to their schools. Thank you to everyone who brought their energy and perspective to the day!

A special shoutout to The Waller Craft Center for hosting us in their beautiful space!

Craftsmen's Guild of MS

Address

501 North West Street, Woolfolk Building-Suite 1011A
Jackson, MS
39201

Telephone

+16013596040

Website

http://www.mswholeschools.org/

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